The Girl With The Lion Birthmark
by damfangirl
Summary: Tinkerbell uses the pixie dust as a last resort to change the Evil Queen. True love, you see, can change someone from an evil villain to a full-fledged hero. Tink's pixie dust doesn't quite work as expected and instead points the irritated Queen and confused Fairy to Snow White's pregnant stomach. AU Swan Queen/Pre-Curse/FTL
1. Born To Love Evil

"WHAT‽" the Evil Queen exclaimed.

After being dragged via Tinkerbell through the entire Enchanted Forest, all the way to Snow White's kingdom, the odd duo followed the pixie dust that was supposed to lead the Evil Queen to her true love and soul mate, the one that would make her 'good' again. It just so happened that the Queen's luck remained sour and the pixie dust lead her straight to her mortal enemy, Snow White, but not quite. The dust swirled around the abdomen of a wide-eyed White Queen.

"Regina! What have you done to me? Is this your payback, cursing my baby before it's even born?" Snow interrogated the dumbfounded Evil Queen.

"It's‒ it's the baby with the lion birthmark," Tink stuttered. She turned expectantly to Queen Regina, wondering how she would take the news.

"Will _someone _please explain to me _what is going on?_" Queen Snow raised her voice.

Regina, of course, was still in complete and utter shock, disregarding all lessons taught and had her mouth hanging open. "Is‒ do you know the gender?" Regina asked softly.

The tone of voice certainly surprised Snow but she answered anyways, "Yes, _it_ is a girl. But why do you want to know? What are you going to do to Emma?"

"Emma..." Regina tested out the name. She quickly snapped her attention from Snow's protruding stomach to her eyes and put on her most regal, expressionless mask she could muster, "I'm going to fall in love with her."

Regina magically teleported back to her bedroom in her castle and slid down the nearest wall, slumping onto the concrete floor.

Meanwhile, Queen Snow was left alone again, but now a tidal wave of emotions washed through her. Confusion. Anger. Surprise. Shock. Protectiveness. She would not let her unborn baby girl to fall into the hands of the Evil Queen, let alone to fall into each other's hearts.

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><p><span><strong>Author's Note:<strong>** This is To Be Continued so please be patient. The next chapter will jump forward in time a bit.**


	2. The Grand Meeting

‒18 years later‒

Over the years, Emma had grown up to be a decent princess and a phenomenal knight. She mastered the arts of swordsmanship, archery, knife throwing and wasn't too bad at jousting and javelin throwing either.

Throughout said time, Queen Regina had subtly become less evil. She hardly ever executed peasants, did not go on murder sprees and continued to be a great ruler. The changes had gone mostly unnoticed by most of the realm, as they happened rather gradually but for Queen Snow, they went wholly ignored (Charming just went along with everything his wife said).

Regina had been cursed by command of the late King Leopold to never grow old and to therefore never displease his sight, but that didn't mean that the Evil Queen couldn't watch Princess Emma grow up. At some points in Emma's life, a mysterious woman would appear and simply watch her from a distance, but somehow, not creepily. Regina looked upon young Emma as if she was a long lost loved one, with a sad yet warm smile etched across her face. Emma had never brought up the topic of the woman to her parents, even as she grew older.

Queen Regina made sure to be present for the little tot's birth, under her invisibility spell, of course. Princess Emma was born with not the mark or spot besides a light tan, lion-shaped birthmark, placed on the infant's wrist.

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><p>On Princess Emma's 18th birthday, she saw the mystery woman at the ball thrown in her favour. The woman was concealed within the shadows and had most certainly gone unseen by all else who attended. Emma thought, <em>this is it, it's now or never<em>, as she made her way towards the woman. Everyone had parted for the princess but paid no heed as to where she was going, the music hadn't stopped so the dancing wouldn't either.

Once Emma was face to face with Regina, they took in each other's features. Dark brown eyes compared to bright jade ones, chocolate brown hair compared to light blonde hair, sharp features compared to softer ones. The two women appeared to be almost complete opposites, yet they still stared at the other.

Regina, who had anticipated this moment greatly, was the first to speak up. "Happy birthday, dear," she whispered with a comforting, strong tone and a smile.

"Thanks," the princess said, clearly still appalled by the timeless beauty before her. "Sorry but who are you, exactly?"

"Your parents never told you about me?" the Queen asked and received a shake of the blonde's head in return. "Huh. Well, I'm Queen Regina, you may just call me Regina though." Regina's soft smile hadn't left since Emma had first come into her view.

"How is it surprising that my parent's haven't mentioned you? And how is it that I've seen you many times before, but like now, you're invisible to all else?" Princess Emma interrogated. She was a very curious and head-strong young woman, after all.

"Well I'm sure the most probable reasoning would be that I'm the _Evil_ Queen. I've checked in on you multiple times because we are‒" she didn't want to frighten the young woman but found that she truly could not lie to her either, "true loves, destined via pixie dust. I wanted to be more familiar to you by the time we officially met but if your parents or guards saw me... well let's just say it would not end well."


	3. The Half-Truths

"Okay," the princess accepted. "Also, why do you look the same every time?"

This question really did make the queen hesitate. What would she say? That the princess' grandfather cursed her to be this way when they were _married_? No, that would not do. "Well, quite the curious one, are you not? I was cursed to be this way. I am not immortal, I simply do not age," she told. Half an answer would have to do for now. "Are you not shocked? Frightened? I did mention being _evil_ did I not?"

"Yes, um, it's just that... Were you the one that saved mother from a horse when she was but a small girl?"

"Yes, I did," the brunette replied, furrowing her eyebrows. Regina thought that was an odd story to tell young Emma when her parents could have described her as the true villain she is. Or was, at least.

"Mother always says that you were a lovely step-mother to her, despite often being agitated by her mere presence. She regrets telling your mother about Daniel, too. All I know of you has been beyond good things," Emma answered the woman's un-asked questions.

"You do not detest the fact that technically, I am your step-grandmother? You are not surprised that we are true loves or that I am evil?" the queen asked, admiring the princess for her acceptance of all the new information donned to her.

"No, I do not think of you as evil anymore. My parents may try to hide it or ignore it but I know that you have improved. Your kingdom is thriving and is quite the safe place for peasants with magic, Mother has banned it, probably in fear of you, now that I have connected the two dots. I believe that in the beginning, Mother and Father wished to protect me from you but as time grew on, they realized that we are destined and they cannot change that without hurting me," Emma concluded. "Besides, fate could have paired me up with someone... less visually appealing"

Regina actually chuckled at that, her first laugh since Emma gave her father a make-over while he was asleep with her mother's make up. "Well, how about we go to the balcony, I'll cast a spell to keep the warmth in, and we dance our first dance?"

"I'd be delighted," the princess answered honestly as she stepped out with the stunning woman. She was secretly giddy about the whole situation. Emma would have to return to her ball before she caused an uproar at her absence.

She had also not been entirely honest with Regina just then. Her mother had not allowed her outside the palace grounds in fear of her being abducted by Snow's step-mother. Emma had of course snuck out anyways, but her mother was still very intolerant of the blonde being out and about. Especially after the princess voiced her interest in women over men. Snow would lock her away if she knew about Regina, despite being the heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, Queen Snow was speaking in hushed, harsh tones to guardsmen after noticing the disappearance of her daughter. _Find her and hold her in her chambers until the gathering can end._


End file.
